worship leadership
Practical Advice for Worship Leadership
Little things count. Improving oneself in the small but important practical aspects of worship leading can lead to greater effectiveness in that role. This entry gives practical instruction in a number of these areas, including visual presentation, oral delivery, movement and choreography, and content of services.
Pursuing Excellence in Worship Leadership
Excellence starts with godly self-esteem, which worship leaders need to instill in their team members by helping them to understand who they are in Christ. Excellence is not something we arrive at, but something we continually pursue; it is a state of “being” more than a state of “doing.”
Keys to Effective Worship Leadership
Effective worship leading requires much more than just nailing down its technical aspects. As important as or more important than technical skills are the worship leader’s relationship with God and with others, his or her spiritual walk, knowledge of Scripture, attitudes, lifestyle, self-discipline, and understanding of music.
Women in Worship Leadership in Biblical Times
Women appear at critical times in the life of their worship communities. Acting as prayer leaders, prophetesses, sages, or apostles, they perform deeds that embody the spirit and life of their community. To read their stories is to discover how this people experienced God and lived in fidelity to that relationship. Their communities remembered them and retold their stories, giving them honored place in the community’s oral and written memory. Their leadership continues to be handed on to renew life and spirit in communities faithful to their tradition. The importance of women in the worship life of biblical times may be seen in the stories of Miriam, Huldah, and the woman who anointed Jesus, as well as in the biblical personification of wisdom as a woman.
Worship Leadership in the New Testament
The emergent New Testament church did not have the same clearly defined offices of leadership as did the worship of Israel. However, the functions of the family head, prophet, priest, and king are summed up in Christ, who through the Spirit leads the church, the community of the new covenant, in its worship of almighty God.